The Hunter and The Hunted
by silverwritinggoddess
Summary: Young women have started to disappear and Neo-Queen Serenity recruits her guardian scouts to solve the problem. What happens, though, when they disappear one by one? The queen has no choice but to call upon the independent Sailor Scout, Sailor Night. When she hears that her fellow scouts have disappeared, she accepts the case. But what will happen when she becomes a target?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This was inspired by another fan fiction that I found here (don't remember if I have it in my favorites or not) but I thought it was interesting and do my own murder mystery using my OCs and the Sailor Scouts. Hope you enjoy!

 **Full Summary:**

 **Young women have started to disappear and Neo-Queen Serenity recruits her guardian scouts to solve the problem. What happens, though, when they disappear one by one? The queen has no choice but to call upon the independent Sailor Scout, Sailor Night. When she hears that her fellow scouts have disappeared, she accepts the case. But what will happen when she becomes a target?**

* * *

 **Prologue**

"She has lovely blue eyes," the voice spoke into her ear. "It would be tragic to see the lights go out..."

"Fuck you, bastard!" Sakura growled.

"In time, sweet one."

Immediately ending the call, the young woman had to take deep breaths and re-centered herself. She absolutely refused to let Ikeda Takuya get underneath her skin but he threatened the very queen herself and she would not allow that to happen. She was an independent Sailor Scout, true, but Serenity had touched her heart in more ways than one and she would not allow such a beautiful soul to be snuffed out by a lunatic.

Ikeda Takuya had been killing for a decade and no one had managed to track him down and now that he was hunting her friends and their families, it was her duty to bring him down before he harmed anymore innocent people. Minako had been the first of the Scouts to have been poached and killed by him. He lured her with the promise of a successful modeling career but needed to do a private photo shoot so he could submit photos to his boss. Minako took it hook, line, and sinker and died as a result.

The second Sailor Scout to be killed was Mercury (better known as Ami Mizuno). Ikeda Takuya knew that she would use her genius as a tool to track him down. In her case, he impersonated the CEO of a major hospital in Japan and charmed her with all sorts of compliments to her work. He knew of her dreams and that her mother worked as a doctor and used this to his advantage. He set up a fake job interview and that was the last time anyone laid eyes on the Scout of Mercury.

It disturbed Sakura that Takuya was using hopes and dreams of her friends as a tool for his sick purpose. Now, he was threatening to go after the Queen of Crystal Tokyo! It baffled her as to why he would target her but the reason why was irrelevant. She was NOT going to let another one of her friends be slaughtered by this monster!

'Ikeda Takuya, you messed with the wrong Sailor Scout.' Sakura thought angrily.

She slipped her cell phone into her pocket and prepared for the night to fall. It was easier for her to monitor the activities of her friends this way.


	2. Chapter 2

Ikeda Takuya sighed. His latest kill had been an easy target...so easy that it really annoyed him, actually. His victim's family was somewhat more of a challenge as they put up a fight, but the victim herself...no. She had been too eager to follow him. He had filled her young mind with false promises of love and that he would take care of her if she ran away with him. It was easy for him to know this. He found her dreams on an online journal and befriended her under the guise of the one she fell in love with. His target came to him at the Rainbow Bridge at midnight and it was easy enough to impersonate her crush. He got her into the car and took her outside of the city where he killed her. After leaving her body near the highway, rain fell. Whatever evidence he might have left behind got washed away.

'I need something more challenging.'

Returning home, he decided to do some more internet surfing. Honestly, it was just mindless surfing until he came across a group of girls well-known to the entirety of Japan: the lovely Sailor Scouts. He wasn't sure why he stopped on them but his instincts told him to take a look at them. Everyone knew who they were and that they were personal guards of the goddess of Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity. He often fantasized slitting her throat but he was also a realist. Only fools would try to attempt such a stunt. Takuya had heard of such attempts and all of them had failed. It was also foolish to even target the Sailor Scouts themselves as they were skilled in the ways of magic and elemental attacks.

'Ah, a man can dream.'

A knock at his door came.

"Come in."

A man clad in entirely black entered his office and begged pardon for the interruption. He did receive word of another one of their men being injured by a female. Takuya raised an eyebrow. This was the second report of such of incident but the messenger happened to witness the whole thing and, as such, was given a description of the female and her name. Dismissing the messenger, he turned to his computer and did a search of one Adachi Sakura. The results came as quite a surprise.

* * *

'This is not the place to get lost.'

Sakura had impulsively decided to take a short cut through an alley way and was regretting it with each step she took. She had her power stick so she could transform into Sailor Night and it pulsed against her hip in warning. She was crossing through Shadow territory, a notorious criminal organization known to run various parts of town, and that was a very dangerous move on her part. She wasn't sure why she decided to go through the alley this time around. She always took the long way around to her apartment.

'Someone's here.'

The young woman had no qualms in defending herself. Heck, she had a bit of a reputation of taking on men who were more than twice her size and getting out unscathed. She tried not to get into fights but most times it was completely unavoidable. Sakura stood up straight and started to walk faster. She would have made it, too, if someone hadn't grabbed her arm. Her first instinct was to grab the owner of the offending hand and throw him over her shoulder. Adachi Sakura wasn't a screamer. She was a fighter.

Her attacker landed on the ground with a loud grunt. He wore gray, black and purple colors, indicative of a Shadow gangster. She jammed her small foot into his stomach to make sure he didn't get up right away.

"Stay down, you bastard!"

Sakura hurried a way as fast as she could but not before she heard a low, admiring whistle. She spun around quickly and spotted piercing gray eyes shining within the darkness. She had a feeling she knew who the owner of those eyes were.

'My day just keeps getting better and better.' She thought sarcastically.


	3. Chapter 3

He whistled admiringly. Takuya was impressed with the way the girl had handled his biggest guy. He had heard that this girl had a bit of a reputation for taking on guys over twice her size and she lived up to that. If he was being honest with himself, when he first got wind of a girl taking on another one of his guys, he thought it was a fluke. He thought one of his guys fucked up on a mission and tried to blame it on some tiny slip of a girl. When he got a second report of another one of his guys getting his ass kicked, he figured he would look into it. He never thought that Adachi Sakura would be the girl whom he had kissed one night after a botched mission.

'They weren't lying.' He thought to himself.

Adachi Sakura was an interesting girl to say the least. She was very petite. No more than five-foot-two at most, he figured, and had the most interesting hair. Most girls he knew of had normal hair color (i.e. brown, black) but this one had silvery, lavender hair and her eyes were a stunning amethyst. The way she looked at him amused him. A mixture of fear and defiance danced in them. Takuya smirked. He found his next victim. She was perfect.

"What they say about you is true." He said to her.

Sakura stopped. She eyed him very carefully but didn't let her guard down. Takuya could tell that she was a seasoned fighter and took her opponents seriously. He appraised her slowly and was quite pleased with her appearance. She had a sweet look that hid the warrior within and he couldn't help but let his eyes linger upon her bosom. It would be an absolute shame that he couldn't have some fun with her. Hm. Perhaps he still could. After all, he had others who could take the fall for him.

"Eyes up, bastard."

"That must be your favorite word." Takuya replied.

Sakura didn't really care whom she insulted, despite the numerous men that now appeared behind their leader. She had been in worse situations than this. She just couldn't stand the way he looked at her like she was some kind of trophy girl. Sure, as a Sailor Scout, she got that look from her male opponents all the time because her outfit was just so revealing but there was something about Ikeda Takuya that just pissed her off.

He smirked, amused at her anger, pissing Sakura off even more. How she wished she could transform into her superhero persona and just wipe that smirk off of his face with her scythe. THAT would be MOST satisfying indeed. Her power stick was hot against her hip. Her need to reach out for it and transform just grated at her but Ikeda Takuya and his men were by no means above blackmail.

"What do you want?" She finally asked.

"I've always wondered who bested my guys in a fight." He said, looking down at his fallen man. "I always thought it was a fluke."

Takuya nudged the fallen man with his foot, making him get up, before returning his attention to the petite female in front of him. The fire in her eyes burned brightly. Most women he had encountered broke easily or fell for his charms easily. Taming this one before breaking her would be a challenge and he did so enjoy a good challenge.

"You might not have realized it, but you took on another one of my guys in town and proceeded to bloody him up."

Sakura looked to where Takuya pointed and immediately recognized him. Of course, how could she have missed it? He had the same dark colors on the day she beat him in that fight. She huffed. He had made a pass at her that day and she would have let that one go if he hadn't grabbed her butt. She grinned when she saw the guy rub his wrist. She broke it and she would gladly do it again.

"The asshole deserved it for groping me."

Takuya's eyes darkened.

"I see."

Sakura didn't like the way his eyes darkened. It was a good indicator of his anger but why would he be angry with one of his own guys? He couldn't possibly be angry with the guy that groped her. He didn't even know her! To make matters worse, Takuya went over to the offender and re-broke his wrist, making him scream.

"What the fuck?"

Stormy gray eyes turned back to her. She knew she was getting a glimpse of his true nature and it frightened her. Who knew what he and his guys could do to her if she stuck around much longer? She didn't really want to find out. She was scared of the fact that he knew her name and it sickened her that he could probably dig up more info on her...and on her friends.

Takuya gave her a feral grin, sensing her fear, before approaching her. He already made up his mind to let her go but not without reminding her of what he was capable of. She took a step backward on instinct but he caught her by her shoulders and pulled her against him. His next words sent shivers down her spine...


	4. Chapter 4

'Lock your windows, little girl.' He whispered. 'Otherwise, I just might pay you a visit."

Those were his exact words before he let her go. Sakura remembered that she had sensed a presence in her room...a presence that had kissed her as she slept. When she woke up, she found no sign of anyone actually being there. She had left her window open because she had a tendency to let the air in. It got hot and stuffy in there if she didn't. She never dreamed that someone would climb into her apartment window. How stupid of her to do that.

Takuya confessed that he had watched her sleep and stole her first kiss before making his way out of her apartment. He had hidden there while the feds searched for him. A traitor in his gang had blown his cover on a mission and needed a fast getaway. Sakura's open apartment window had been the only solution for him.

It was a frightening thing to know that a very dangerous criminal had been in her apartment while she slept and that he had kissed her as she slept. Sakura tightened her grip on her power stick, which had since cooled down. She sighed. For a mere mortal, she thought, Ikeda Takuya wielded a dangerous amount of power. He was a very imposing figure who commanded respect and fear. In his line of work, fear and respect went hand in hand.

'I guess I should tell the girls.'

Sakura quickly made her way to the Crown Arcade where her fellow Sailor Scouts often congregated after school. They were a couple of years younger than her but she didn't mind. It was very refreshing, as a matter of fact, to hang out with them after being in a private college with snooty students for so long. The only one that wasn't among them was her favorite person in the entire world and that one person happened to be Queen of Crystal Tokyo.

"Hey, ladies."

Invited to the table where her friends sat, she walked on over to them. Even though they were guardians of the royal family, they still had normal lives to live. Mizuno Ami, for example, was currently going to Medical school to become a doctor and was also interning at a local hospital. Hino Rei was the chief priestess of the Shinto shrine her grandfather once ran but had assistance from an old, high school crush. Neo-Queen Serenity didn't like the thought of having them at her side at all times. She wanted them to live life. She used the outer scouts as an excuse to let the others have a chance to live. Of course, everyone had been hesitant. They didn't want to leave their beloved queen completely without protection. As such, they compromised. They would live out normal lives and then return to duty. It seemed to work.

As for Sakura, she lived her life on her own terms. She was an independent Scout but often worked with the inner scouts when it called for it. Whenever she had the chance, she would stop in and visit with the much beloved Queen. She was the one who gave her a chance at life after being rescued from the Dark Kingdom. She was given the chance to become a Sailor Scout. Look where she was now.

* * *

"He was the guy who broke into my apartment the other night." Sakura said. "And stole my first kiss."

"I wish I had someone who would steal my first kiss." Aino Minako replied dreamily.

Hino Rei knocked her blonde friend over the head, scolding her that the man who had broken into their friend's home was a dangerous criminal. The man was notorious for taking down rival gangs in one fell swoop. Who knew what he and his thugs could have done to her in the alley?

"He could have raped and killed her, you idiot!" Rei growled.

"Rumor also has it that he deals in trafficking." Kino Makoto added.

Sakura had heard of that rumor and shivered. He could have abducted her that night and sold her off to some sex trader. However, that unwanted kiss he took from her and the way he held her in the alley made her think that he wanted her for himself. Plus, the way his eyes darkened when she told him one of his guys had groped her and, of course, when he re-broke his guy's wrist as well.

Her friends agreed that he was a predator and that she should try to stay away from him as best as possible. Staying alone where he could go back for her wasn't an option. Rei and Makoto all offered her a place to stay until they could figure out a solution.

"In the meantime, we'll all walk home together." Mizuno Ami proposed.

"Right!"

Sakura felt blessed to have such caring friends but she was also concerned that Takuya would also target them. Nothing was below him, after all. If he figured out who she was, then he would figure out who her friends were and use them in his twisted scheme...whatever that was. She sighed. Crystal Tokyo from the outside appeared to be the most perfect and most peaceful place in the world. For a time, that had been true before Ikeda Takuya and his gang moved into town. Then, around the same time, young women started to disappear. Sakura had always suspected him (or, at least, his gang) to be behind those disappearances but there was no conclusive evidence to tie the Shadow Gang. The bodies of the missing typically turned up a month later, if not longer, with no visible injuries.

 _No one is safe, anymore._

* * *

It didn't take Takuya long to track her down. Even though he let her go, it was imperative that he studied her movements. What good would a cat and mouse game be if he didn't know where the Cherry Blossom went? His very first encounter with her had been pure luck, plain and simple. Running into her in the alley had been guaranteed, though. He had seen her deviate from her normal route and decided that it was time to meet her in waking life. Again, who would have thought she would be the same girl that he had stolen a kiss from?

It didn't come as a surprise when he saw a group of attractive looking girls come out of the Crown Arcade. He did a little research and found out who Sakura hung out with. He didn't understand why she chose high school girls as friends but to each their own, he supposed. Alright, he found them far more attractive than he should have, especially that Hino Rei with her sleek black hair and fiery violet eyes. If his 'gang' were any other gang, all of those girls would easily make a good target for the sex trade but his gang wasn't like that, despite rumors.

"You don't see girls that pretty everyday," His right hand man said.

"Not at all." Takuya agreed. "Keep focused, though."

He might not sell them off but using her friends as bait to come to him (and killing them) was a very tempting idea. He smirked. A very tempting idea, indeed.


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura couldn't help feel that she and her friends were being watched. She slowly checked the cars parked along the street and noticed a dark car nearby. It was a common sight with the wealthy being show-offs these days but for some reason, she just didn't feel right about it.

As if to prove her right, the window rolled down and those piercing gray eyes she had seen earlier that day stared right at her. Why was he following her? Ice ran down her spine. He knew who her friends were now and that sickened her. They were taking care of her but now she needed to take care of them. Rei noticed where Sakura was staring and turned in that same direction.

"So that's him."

"Yes."

"Keep going." Rei quietly ordered.

Working on instinct, the girls followed the Scout of Mars as she suddenly took advantage of a passing bus and dashed into an alley. This particular alley was neutral territory and one of the safer ones to go through...well, that and it was one some of them used when they needed to transform as well. This was their part of town, so to speak, and wanted to keep it that way.

Sakura decided that she would stay with Rei for the night and then she would stay with another one of the girls for the next night. It would confuse her stalker, she hoped, and toss him off her scent.

* * *

That night, she dreamed of that terrible man reappearing in her apartment. She found him standing by her window. She ran to the door but it was shut tight from the outside. No matter how hard she banged on the door, it wouldn't budge. She tried to transform into her superhero persona but that, too, failed. Finally, she made the attempt to fight him off but it only served to amuse him. His normal, stormy gray eyes were tinted with an eerie red.

A large hand struck her directly in the face and sent her flying on to the floor. Sakura immediately got back up and tried to attack him again. This time, she was successful and made her way towards the window when she was yanked back by her hair. She fell to her knees but was forcefully pulled to her feet. A strong arm wrapped itself around her shoulders, locking her in place against her captor's chest.

"I told you to keep the window closed, didn't I?" He asked. "Now you're going to pay for it."

Takuya's hand started to raise the hem of her nightdress.

"First, though, I think I'll have some fun."

"SAKURA!"

She woke up to the sound of Rei calling her name. The look of worry clouded the Scout of Fire's lovely face. Confused, she took a look around to see where she was and remembered that she was at the shrine with Rei. Rei was a shrine priestess and helped her grandfather run the place. Sakura sighed and brushed her silver hair out of her face.

"That was some nightmare." She said.

Pulling her power stick from beneath the pillow, Sakura stared at it long and hard.

"What kind of Sailor Scout am I if I can't defend myself from a man like Takuya?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Rei admonished. "I'd be scared, too, if I had an encounter like yours. We're human. Remember that."

The Scout of the Night sighed again. Her friend had a point. She couldn't help but shiver, though. That dream felt so real and the area where he had touched her felt real, too. She sighed and regained her bearing. She needed to be strong. She had to. She was a warrior of the Night. It was her playground. It just wouldn't do to be afraid of her own element.

* * *

After discussing her nightmare more with Rei, Sakura fell back to sleep, with a charm beneath her pillow to chase away those dark dreams. As for the fire maiden, she sat in front of the great fire and began to meditate. She needed to see Takuya's intent. What could he possibly want with their friend? There was no possible way that he could know her superhero identity. She sat only a few minutes before a vision appeared and it terrified her. She saw her friend willingly (or unwillingly) disappear into the dark with the man in question. What terrified her more was when Takuya gazed back at Rei with wicked gray eyes and smiled at her before the fire flared out at her. The fire maiden jumped backwards.

'It's as if he knew I was watching him.'

Rei looked back at her sleeping friend before she shook her head. No. There was no way one of their strongest warriors would go with him so willingly. He'd probably threaten her with something precious to make her leave with him. The fire was never wrong so there was no hoping for a wrong vision.


	6. Chapter 6

After her nightmare, Sakura slept peacefully but she couldn't shake off that terrible image. To be truthful, her nightmare was far more terrifying than the enemies she had faced in the past. It was probably because she was dealing with a human and not a demon...at least, in a sense. Demons could take the shapes of humans and she knew this for a fact.

Being a little psychic herself, Sakura wanted to connect with the shadows and see if she could pick up on Takuya. However, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea considering that she could bring something unwanted back to the shrine. She had the ability to dreamwalk into other people's mind but that in itself was very dangerous. Not only can she bring something unwanted back to the shrine, she could get stuck, too, and that was something she wanted to avoid completely. Of course, she could get attacked in the dream realm as well.

'I better not.'

As connected to the night she was, she didn't want to put herself in harm's way on a spiritual level. For all she knew, Takuya could be spiritually aware and try to attack her that way. It would be just her luck. Little did she know how right she was.

* * *

Takuya smirked. His dreamwalking into her mind had the desired effect. He was more connected to her than she thought. He had always been connected to her since the first night he encountered his sweet cherry blossom. It was not too long ago that he discovered this ability and received psychic help from a distant relation on honing this gift.

'Pretty useful.'

He had many other gifts that he didn't know that he had but dreamwalking just happened to be his favorite one. He knew of her dreams and many other secrets of hers. There was one secret, however, that he found very interesting and very useful. Adachi Sakura had an alias. She often moonlighted as the pretty guardian, Sailor Night. He had been overly delighted when he came across that tidbit.

'Very useful, indeed.'

That information would be very crucial in getting her where he wanted and when he wanted. This was perfect. He would take what he desired from her...her very innocence. Yes, he saw her dark beginnings and her rebirth into a human and a Sailor Scout. Her rebirth purified her. The thought of breaking her and corrupting her innocence just appealed to him. She didn't realize that she called to him in a primal manner and he intended to answer that call.

'Hopefully you have your windows shut.'

He had no intention of letting anyone getting in the way, including that meddlesome priestess that decided to check in on him.

'Hmm...'

If Adachi Sakura was one of the pretty guardians that he had heard so much about, what are the chances her friends were the rest of them? Perhaps, with the assistance of his new gift, he would be able to discern the identities of the rest of the Sailor Scouts. Discovering their identities would put them in jeopardy and if the cherry blossom had any concern for them, she would do anything to keep them protected...something that he planned on using to his advantage.

Takuya felt that it was no coincidence that he would be crossing paths with the young woman. First, he had broken into her apartment and found her sleeping, stealing a kiss in the process, and crossed paths with her again in the alley. Seeing her up close and in person made something inside him stir...something predatory, per his nature. He felt the need to hunt. He sighed. Adachi Sakura was his alone. In his mind, she was fit for a king. No one would be allowed to touch her, except for himself. Anyone who got in his way or touched her would be destroyed on sight.

* * *

An involuntary shiver ran up her back. Sakura had never felt so chilled. It was as if she was being forewarned about coming events. Also, she felt like she was being watched. Rei sensed the same thing and warned her friend to be careful as she walked to school with the rest of her friends.

"I will."

Rei couldn't shake the terrible feeling that she had. Something horrible was going to happen and she felt it in her bones. The vision that she saw in the great fire the night before had shaken her to the core. Sakura looked back at her raven-haired friend and saw a hint of fear in her eyes. If something had frightened the Scout of Mars, then it couldn't be good. Instinctively, she patted her pocket, in which her power stick resided and felt better. If she needed it...when she needed it...it would be close by.


	7. Chapter 7

After defeating a wayward youma, Sakura finally made it home. Even the thrill of a fight couldn't get rid that sense of foreboding that she and Rei shared. Something awful was coming their way. Whatever it was, they had to be ready. The young woman sighed as she entered her bedroom. There really wasn't much to do at the moment. As she was not officially part of the royal court guard, she just went straight home or stopped to see the much beloved queen.

 _Do I dare?_

It was a very risky move but as long as she had something solid to tie her to the physical realm, she could travel to the dream realm. If she got in too deep, she'd have something to pull her back to reality. All humans were a little psychic and, thus, connected to each other via the dream realm. Mars taught her this. Sakura closed the door and the window for quiet. She also turned off the light. In order for her to do this, she had to have peace and absolute silence.

 _Okay. Here goes nothing._

The darkness helped heighten her senses and her psychic abilities. As such, falling into a meditative state was much easier. Coming upon her dream gate, she entered it in search of a particular mind and it didn't take her long to find it. He stood in his internal dream space just standing there, as if he was waiting for someone. His gray eyes met hers and darkened with undeniable pleasure at seeing her.

"Good of you to join me."

 _Damn it! Was he really waiting for me? How?_

"Of course I was waiting. Don't think I can't hear your thoughts, girl." Takuya replied.

Sakura kept her distance from the man and forced herself to maintain her composure. She knew it had been a risky move to dream walk into his dream space. Before she even realized it, Takuya appeared right behind her and crushed her body against his. Silently, he grabbed her right wrist and started to feed off of her.

'A psychic vampire!'

She tried to pull herself back to reality but found that she couldn't! Her panic clouded her judgement and something else held her from escaping. Dream spaces were created by sheer will. Perhaps it was Takuya's will that prevented her from leaving.

"You're right." He answered, answering Sakura's thoughts.

Takuya realized he could kill her here and now. By destroying her will and consciousness, she would die in the real world. No one would know about it until it was far too late. He would have the glory of killing one of the pretty guardians under his belt and there would be absolutely NO evidence left behind. Then again, he usually left a calling card in the real world. If he was taught anything, he was taught to be consistent. Also, there was the matter of hunting other targets, namely Sakura's pretty friends. He still had some grand plans for them so it was best that he stayed on track.

"Bastard." Sakura growled. "Leave them alone."

"Why? They'd make excellent target practice."

"You...monster!"

"Behave, little guardian." Takuya murmured.

"What? What...did...you call me?" The young woman gasped.

"You heard me, Sailor Night. Traversing your dreams had been so easy. You should be more careful."

How could she have been so careless? She normally had her mental defenses up! Sakura remembered the nightmare she had recently and realized that Takuya had, indeed, dream walked into her space. It would definitely be easy for him to access information that way and speaking of access, he probably would have had his way with her, too, if Rei hadn't pulled her out of sleep.

"I'll be paying her a visit, too."

"Leave her alone!"

"I will break every last one of you." Takuya threatened. "You'll be left for last."

He bit down on her neck, feasting on more of her energy, before releasing her from his grip. He had never tasted such wonderful energy. It was intoxicating. He felt...powerful. He grinned at the petite female before him. He had dirt on her but what would happen if he traversed the minds of her friends? What would he find, he wondered?

"You...bastard."

Sakura attempted to slap him but the man caught her hand and tightened his grip on her wrist, causing her to wince in pain. Takuya needed to put her in her place and make her behave.

"Careful. You just might end up dead like the other girls."

Those were his last words before she was released back to the real world. She made an attempt to get up but fell forward and onto the floor. Takuya had drained a good amount of energy from her and was left weakened as a result. She could hardly move, much less try to stand on her two feet. Her room was too dark for her to try and find her communicator so she did the only other thing that she could.

 _Usa!_

Sakura passed out.

* * *

A woman with long, silvery blond hair sat with her sweet daughter in their bedtime ritual when she was hit with a mental message from someone. Her blue eyes widened when she realized from whom the message came from.

"What is it, mama?"

Serenity looked down at her daughter, her wide, pink eyes filled with curiosity and worry. She smiled. Small Lady was always so perceptive. She would make a good Sailor Scout and a good queen someday.

"Nothing for you to worry about. Now, time for bed."

She kissed her daughter before turning out the light. As soon as she was she was sure of her daughter's slumber, the queen went in search for the Fire Guardian of Mars. One of her friends was in danger! A deep dread filled her as she remembered that there was a serial killer out and about. She hoped that Sakura hadn't fallen victim to him. Serenity lengthened her stride.

 _Sakura-chan!_

No response. She began to run to where Sailor Mars often meditated. She rushed out to the palace gardens.

"Serenity?"

Sailor Mars had sensed her queen coming at a rapid pace and felt her dread. It was the same dread that she felt earlier that day when Sakura went home. Originally, she was supposed to go home with one of the girls but their duty to the queen called to them at the wrong time, leaving their friend quite alone. Looking into the queen's frightened blue eyes, she knew that something horrible had happened to the Scout of the Night.

"Mars! I need you to find Sailor Night!" She ordered. "Hurry! She's in trouble!"

Her worst fears confirmed, Sailor Mars left the palace immediately in search of her fellow Scout. Neo-Queen Serenity, on the other hand, called for the others to come together.


	8. Chapter 8

Sailor Mars hurried as fast as she could, not even caring if she was running through Shadow territory. They wouldn't dare mess with her. She would merely fry them alive and go...the same way she would fry the one who harmed Sakura. The raven-haired beauty felt heat come to her fingertips as she made her silent vow. She sped up, willing her long legs to get her to Sakura as fast as they could get her. She couldn't sense her friend's energy signature and that worried her greatly.

 _Please, be alive._ Mars prayed.

She hurried to the apartment complex and made a mighty leap to the third floor. She had no time to climb stairs. Time was of the essence. Soon enough, she busted through the door and immediately searched for her fellow scout. Switching on the light in the bedroom, the Guardian of Fire found her on the floor.

"Sakura!"

Hurrying to her side, Mars checked for a pulse. It was slow but it was there. She didn't see any visible damage that could have been caused by a youma until she inspected Sakura's wrist. Upon the girl's wrist, were puncture wounds that appeared to be made by a human. Frowning, she checked her friend's neck and found a similar mark.

"Mars?"

"Thank goodness." She sighed with relief.

"I feel so weak." Sakura said. "He drained a lot of my energy."

"Who did this?" Mars asked.

Before Sakura could answer, the rest of the inner scouts came rushing into the apartment. Confused, everyone asked what had happened. Mars had to shush them and explained that it wasn't a youma. She didn't find its presence nor evidence that there had been one. In fact, it had been a human that had attacked her. Rei had her suspicions as she remembered her vision from the Great Fire but didn't voice it. Sakura's health was her main concern.

"We can deal with this later." Mercury suddenly said. "She needs to rest and recover her energy."

"I'll stay." Mars replied. "I think I have an idea what's going on. We'll talk later. Go back to the palace."

Jupiter was hesitant to leave but the rest of her crew eventually pulled her away once Sakura was settled in her bed. The young woman was aware of their presence but didn't feel like talking. She didn't feel well at all and wanted to rest. Mars powered down and removed some charms that she had in the pocket of her jeans. She placed some around and under the bed and in various corners of Sakura's room. It was a defense mechanism to prevent further psychic attacks.

"It was Takuya."

"What?"

Sakura didn't reply. Her eyes were closed in a deep sleep. Rei sighed. A psychic vampire always would take a lot out of people. While there were some unintentional attacks, most of them were not and this clearly wasn't unintentional. The Fire Guardian sat in a soft chair nearby and began to focus on healing her friend. Ikeda Takuya would have to wait.

* * *

He had to give the raven-haired woman credit. She had a very strong will and a very strong mental defense. Takuya wasn't able to probe her mind without alerting her. However, he had a very strong urge to kill someone and he wasn't getting anywhere at the moment with his current targets. Fortunately for him, though, that would soon be remedied. One of his men found a thief and a traitor among them and thieves and traitors were often executed.

He enjoyed the feel of cold metal in his hands as he took his handgun with him to the warehouse where prisoners were held. As he entered, he relished the look of fear on his victim's face. Takuya had a reputation of being brutal in his executions but he had other plans for tonight...plans that no one else was aware of. He had an appointment with someone else so he had to make this quick.

 _BLAM!_

That helped ease the itch Takuya felt somewhat but now he wanted more and tonight's hunt would help. His men were used to him disappearing for hours and days at a time so they didn't really question it. Of course, if they did question it, he would make it so that they wouldn't do so in the future. That would also cover him if and when he killed another woman and speaking of...

 _My next target should be arriving soon._

Takuya took disappeared into the night. He had an appointment to keep and it just wouldn't do if he arrived late.

* * *

"My lady!" A guard cried. "It happened again!"

Neo-Queen Serenity was met with the terrifying news of another woman being reported as missing. Her thoughts immediately turned to Sakura but her guardians had found her in time and that Sailor Mars had stayed with her. She shook her head and frowned. She knew that the police force was doing all that they could to catch him but she had a feeling that the killer that ran around the city was no ordinary killer.

"I may have to deploy my outer scouts for this." She finally said.

Normally, she would recruit Sailor Night for such a job as she was so in tune with the shadows but she was out until she could heal up. Serenity was about to call for her stronger guardians when she was hit a terrifying vision. She couldn't see the woman's face but the red bow on her head was very familiar to the queen. The woman in her vision was meeting a man before she disappeared into a house.

 _'No...'_

"My lady?"

"Never mind."

Serenity teleported herself to the Time Gates and met with her solitary guardian, Sailor Pluto. Her ancient eyes, filled with utter sadness and despair, confirmed her worst fears. Tears began to fill the queen's eyes as the horrible truth sank in.

"I'm sorry."

"VENUS!"

* * *

Rei jumped in shock as she felt the queen's pain and despair. Something terrible had happened! She was going to call Venus when Jupiter contacted her on her communicator instead. The Guardian of Fire quietly slipped out of Sakura's bedroom and relocated to the living room.

"Venus is missing!" Jupiter cried.

"NO!"

The young woman sank into the couch. First the attack on Sailor Night and now Venus had disappeared. She hoped against hope that their bubbly friend hadn't fallen victim to the monster that was preying on women. Her instincts, though, were telling her otherwise. She clenched her fist in anger and misery.

"Venus is missing?"

Sailor Mars turned to see Sakura up and standing. She was still pale but not as bad as she had been the day before. The fear and concern in her amethyst eyes came to life. Sakura shuddered as she remembered those dark words...

 _"Careful. You just might end up dead like the other girls."_

 _Could it be...?_

Sakura looked at Rei with tired, yet determined, eyes.

"Get me to the palace. NOW."


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you sure?" Rei asked, hesitant. "You're in no condition to go anywhere."

"Just get me to the rest of the Scouts, at least!" Sakura growled.

Then she sighed and looked at her fellow scout with sad eyes and said that she had a feeling that she knew what happened to Sailor Venus. The Scout of the Night launched into her story of when she attempted a dream walk to Takuya's mind and told of his ominous last words before being released. Rei's violet eyes widened. It would explain the odd feeling she had while she had been working on healing her friend. He was no ordinary human, that was for sure. Sure, she had run into other psychics in her lifetime but not one who was as developed as Ikeda Takuya.

 _Our enemy is a human...a gifted one._

A human. The Sailor Scouts had dealt with humans in the past but not one who was so gifted...and one who seemed to be a killer.

* * *

With the help of from a certain outer scout, they were at the palace in no time. The queen offered Sakura a bed but she refused. Once more, she recounted everything that had happened leading up to the psychic attack on her. She recalled his ominous words before Takuya had released her from the dream realm.

"Do you think he could be the killer?" Jupiter asked.

Sakura didn't reply. She couldn't be sure but those last words he left her with made her think that he was. Rei, on the other hand, felt sure that he was. She revealed to everyone about what she had seen in the Great Fire on the night Sakura had her nightmare. Everyone gasped when she told that she had seen Sailor Night disappearing with him into the darkness. One possible reason came to mind.

"It's because he knows that I'm a Sailor Scout. His dream walking abilities allowed him to explore my secrets." The young woman said.

Neo-Queen Serenity frowned in worry. A human with those kinds of abilities was really dangerous. This definitely presented an issue as far as her Sailor Scouts went. They all lived separate lives and often split up. He could expose their identities to the world for one thing. What else could he use to his advantage? Furthermore, there was the matter of the missing Sailor Venus. Even though Sailor Pluto had essentially confirmed it, she refused to believe that she was dead until she found further proof.

"Please, your highness," Sakura begged. "Let me be the one to track him down. I know what to look for."

The reigning monarch was reluctant to let her go. Her dark scout wasn't fully recovered! Furthermore, if this Takuya had gifts to pull her into the dream realm, what's to keep him from preying on her again? To be truthful, she was surprised that her attacker had allowed her to leave the dream world. Why did he? He could have killed her there! Then she thought about the man's ominous words he had left with Sakura.

 _"Careful. You just might end up dead like the other girls."_

Her mind was going a million miles a minute. Nothing seemed to be adding up. She needed to clear her mind and think.

* * *

Takuya had been right. The night before, he had dream walked into Aino Minako's mind and traversed her internal dream realm. He found many interesting things about her, including her career as Sailor V and as Sailor Venus. He had to admit that if he hadn't dug around and come across her secret identity, he would have just passed her off as a worthless target. He also discovered that she wanted to be a model and had just signed on with someone. As such, using this information, he posed as an agent wanting to take private photo shoots. Minako took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

He didn't think that she would be that foolish but she had been. Tormenting her about the kind of things that he would do to her friends had been satisfying and even more so when he saw the life leave her eyes. Manner of death: asphyxiation. He left the rest of her body pristine as possible. She had struggled quite a bit when she realized what he was going to do to her. It was unfortunate that there were more bruises left on her but what could he have done? Ah well. He left her body in a place where it wouldn't be found for awhile.

 _Who shall I target next?_

The man pulled up pictures of his potential victims. He knew he wouldn't find much information on Sakura's friends on the internet, save for one Mizuno Ami. What he had found on her had saved him a trip into her dream world (though there was another thing he needed to know about her). It definitely helped that she was well known for her genius and that her parents were just as well known in their respective fields. Now, all he had to do was find a way to get her to him, which shouldn't be to difficult. In the meantime, Takuya pulled out his cell phone and made a call to one of his guys.

 _Sir?_

"Do me a favor. Find Adachi Sakura's cell phone number."

 _Done._

Takuya hung up. He had some planning (and taunting) he needed to do. He left Sakura's picture up on his monitor and smiled. She would be the last one out of her friends for him to prey on. He always saved the best for last. Breaking her would be such a treat.


	10. Chapter 10

"Please be alright, Venus."

Sakura couldn't get rid of the horrible dread she felt in her chest. She got that dreadful feeling if someone, particularly one of her friends, had been killed. Despite how weak she felt, she pushed herself to where Venus had been last seen, which was close to the countryside. There was still a residue of her energy in the vicinity before she had been killed, which helped the young Scout of the Night to pinpoint that particular area. It was a very lonely place, save for a house that looked rather...old. How Takuya convinced Venus to come here, she would never know. Venus might have been an airhead at times but even this place would have made her turn the other way.

'Definitely the kind of place to not travel alone to.'

The young sailor scout shook those thoughts away and searched the area around the house. It was all wet and muddy, her boots splashing in small puddles lying here and there. The area appeared to be an old construction site of some sort that was probably abandoned and the house must have served as an HQ of sorts. Sakura came across tire tracks and among those tracks, something shiny had caught her eye. Her breath caught as she realized what it was.

"Venus's power stick."

Sailor Night kneeled down and picked it up. The handle was cracked but it still held power to it. There was no sign of a struggle here so she must have dropped it and possibly stepped on it. She slipped the power stick into her suit and continued on to the house. As soon as she stepped inside, exhaustion hit the young woman. She knew that she was taking a big risk with her health by investigating this particular case as Sailor Night. Transforming into a Sailor Scout always took energy from her but since she hadn't completely recovered from being drained, she was taking a huge chance. Also, teleporting herself here also took a bit out of her.

 _I need to keep moving._

She looked around the first floor of the house and saw absolutely nothing. It was completely empty. The second floor was another story. There was evidence of a struggle...a big struggle. Glass from a nearby window was broken but no blood. The few pieces of furniture that had been in the room had been upturned or broken. Sakura frowned. Sailor Venus must have realized that she had been led into a trap and tried to get out of it. Of course, she had lost her power stick and that had doomed her.

 _You probably fought tooth and nail, Venus._

That bastard got to her. Sakura smashed her fist through the wall in anger before falling to her knees. She had failed her friend and companion. The Scout of the Night stayed where she was. She didn't want to go back to Neo-Queen Serenity and report what she found but there was one more thing that she had to look for: the body itself. For the first time since arriving, Sakura realized how cool and dank it was in the place. That meant the body hadn't started the decomposition process...if the body was even here, that is.

 _Alright then._

Sakura knew she had to save her energy so she started searching the rest of the rooms in the house. She searched all the nooks and crannies of the house and found nothing. She went back outside of the house and searched the grassy areas. Still nothing. The crawlspace beneath the house was the only other place she hadn't checked and dread clenched her heart. She got down and pulled rotten boards away from the foundation of the house. The first thing that hit her nose was rather familiar to her.

"Her perfume."

Using her enhanced vision, she crawled into the space and she saw strands of blonde hair almost right away. A red bow lay in the mud and Sakura's heart stopped when she saw blank, terrified eyes staring back at her. Blue eyes that once held vitality were filled with terror. Sakura checked the rest of her friend for external wounds and saw fading bruises on her neck. The bastard had strangled her.

"Venus."

Nearly out of energy, the young woman crawled out of the space and sat against the wall of the house. She powered down and sobbed, despair rolling off of her in waves. Rain began to fall before she finally pulled her communicator and contacted her superior.

"I found her."

* * *

Takuya wasn't disappointed. He had expected his little guardian to go out and search for her missing companion. He wasn't surprised by the fact that she had found her friend, either. He had, indeed, expected her to come across the blonde's dead body. She did exactly as he hoped she would and she didn't fail him.

"Good girl."

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her cell phone number. Her sad, melodic, voice filled his ears. It was a balm to the raging beast inside him.

* * *

"Hello?"

 _"Who shall I target next?"_

Sakura couldn't believe this! He had found her number and was now calling to taunt her! Rage began to bubble inside her before it finally boiled over.

"You monster...YOU MONSTER!"

 _"Now, now, sweet one. I'm just getting started."_

"Stop it! STOP IT NOW!"

 _"How about that little Mizuno girl? She has lots of dreams and aspirations."_

"GODDAMNIT! STOP IT!"

 _"I think she'll do, don't you think?"_

Sakura's anger and hatred had rendered her speechless. She hung up her phone and immediately contacted the Scout of Water, Sailor Mercury. She would be damned if she lost another friend to that fucking bastard.

"Watch your back, Mercury."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, it's been forever trying to update this thing. Between writer's block, work, and a Las Vegas wedding for next year, it's been quite busy. And no, I'm not the one getting married. Here you are! Enjoy!**

* * *

Sailor Night stood at the top of a skyscraper as she monitored Ami Mizuno's movements. She wouldn't allow being drained of her energy to stop her from trying to keep her friends saved. The Scout of Water was being escorted home by their companions, which made her feel better, but the Scout of Night couldn't shake the feeling that something would befall her fellow scout. Shaking her head, she focused on the task at hand. She would not allow Ikeda Takuya to kill anymore innocent people on her watch.

 _Why he would target my friends is beyond me._

No other civilians, aside Venus, had been reported as missing as of late and that made Sakura very suspicious and wary. Was he doing this for sport? Was he doing this for infamy? Or was he targeting them because he was part of something bigger? Nothing added up and nothing really sounded right. Was he killing people just because he could? That had a bit of truth behind it and it made her feel cold inside.

Earlier in the day, as she prepared to do a patrol run, she noticed a strange mark upon her neck. It was already dark but it was cold to the touch. She had Sailor Mars look at it and was told that it was a branding of sorts. A dark force had her marked...weather for death or for some other reason was unclear. The young psychic had slipped the Dark Scout of the Night protective charms before she had gone out to overlook the area where Ami went to school.

"Just be careful." Sailor Mars warned.

Sailor Venus's power-stick grew warm upon her skin. It was a warning sign that danger approached. Sailor Night began to follow Sailor Mercury at a safe distance just in case she could see something or someone following her. She pulled out her communicator and contacted her companion.

"Be on your guard, Mercury." Sakura urged. "Danger approaches."

"I sense it, too." The blunette replied.

Mercury and their friends were aware that Sailor Night was following them from a distance. It allowed them some breathing space and it gave them an extra pair of eyes to search behind them. So far, Sakura saw nothing but the danger she felt was invisible. It watched, whatever it was. Her nerves were high on edge.

* * *

Fortunately, they had made it safely to their destination and it was decided that they would all stay with their resident genius. Sakura's nerves were pretty much shot but she wouldn't allow herself to drop her guard. Ikeda Takuya still plotted and waited...hunted. She sighed. She had failed Venus but she would not fail Mercury.

Now that the night had fallen, Sakura linked herself to the dark element. It was imperative to find out what had been stalking them. She drowned out all of the negative energy that hid within the night and sought the energy of their stalker. Soon, she began to follow the trail of an energy signature that matched the stalker's and it led back to her main suspect.

"Well, son of a bitch."

Sakura was very well aware of how spiritually powerful he was but she didn't think he was this strong. Astral projection? It had to be. Takuya was simply lounging upon his bed when his eyes shot open. Suddenly, the young woman felt invisible fingers close around her neck and began to suffocate. A shock of cold stabbed her in between her legs before being released. She had wanted to scream at the intrusion but refused to do so. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her in pain.

"Well, that was reckless of you."

A projection of Takuya appeared before her.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're usually not this stupid." Takuya remarked. "Or unguarded."

Sailor Night glared at him. It was a risk that she had to take. She had to let him know that she watching him as well and that she wouldn't allow her friends to die by his hand. The man before her merely raised an eyebrow before tightening his invisible grip around her neck. Maybe he would stop killing or maybe not. Tormenting the one's that hunted him was what he did best. There were times that he would stop killing completely to throw off the authorities and there were times that he would begin again. He loved it. He loved striking fear into the hearts of many. That was where he gained his power. He enjoyed that hold, just as he enjoyed his hold on the lovely female before him.

"Bastard." She growled.

She stiffened at the second cold stab in between her legs but refused to make even a sound. He would not have her or her friends. A predatory smile spread across his handsome face as he read her thoughts. Ice began to pump through her veins as fear began to take hold of her. It was the kind of smile that sent night terrors to a victim. He traced the marking he left on her neck with cold, invisible fingers, making her fear grow. Not even the fiercest of warriors could quash that feeling that he planted within them. Sailor Night was no exception.

"All of you will be mine, soon. You, my dear, will be the last so I can enjoy you."

Takuya disappeared, allowing his hold on Sailor Night to loosen, but not before he sent her a frightening vision. It was a vision of him taking what he wanted from her. Her body was stiff from sleep paralysis but the emotions that escaped her were very real. The young woman was then slammed back into reality, knocking the wind out of her. She could literally feel where his fingers had been and that cold feeling of ice in between her legs. He could be subtle whenever the mood struck him but not tonight. The mark on her neck had made his intentions obvious. Sakura sighed as she slowly stood up. She needed to stop him but how? There had to be a way to block him.

 _I won't let you win._

His intimidation tactics were all too familiar for her. Very predictable and, she thought, very effective. Her friends were very important to her and he knew it. Sailor Night cursed him. She would rather that he attack her directly than her friends. At least, that way, they would remain safe but nothing in life came easy. A) He already had attacked her directly (more or less) and B) It hadn't stopped him from attacking her friends.

* * *

Sakura spent most of her days escorting her friends to their destinations, either as a civilian or as Sailor Night. Most of her nights were spent in meditation, perfecting a psychic shield to keep Takuya out. She was determined to become stronger than ever and beat this enemy as were her fellow scouts. They had lost one of their comrades as it were and were not prepared to lose another one of their own. However, fate had a different plan for a certain Scout.

Ami Mizuno had received a phone call for an internship interview at a major hospital in Tokyo. When Sakura had heard the news, she had been ecstatic at first but dread soon followed. She wasn't sure why but she knew it would be wrong to ignore her gut instinct. Her instincts were hardly ever wrong. She voiced her concerns to the Scout of Water and to the rest of their friends but her warnings and concerns would not be enough for as soon as the bluenette entered the building, her fate would be sealed, despite the Sailor Scouts's surveillance of the building. They all knew that she had met her death when their connection to Sailor Mercury had been cut. Jupiter's anger reached new heights and Night's guilt deepened.

"Damn it!" Jupiter roared.

A loud slap echoed. The Scout of Thunder stuck Sailor Night. Silence ruled over the remaining Sailor Scouts, shock and angst becoming a heavy cloud over them. Tears welled up in their eyes as the reality of Mercury's death sank in. She would never come out of that building ever again.

"Why didn't you stop it!?"

Sakura couldn't answer. Sailor Jupiter slapped her again.

"Stop it, Jupiter!" Mars shouted. "Fighting isn't going to get us anywhere!"

It was for this very reason that she didn't like to work with others. Emotions often got in the way and it led to arguments such as this, even with the outer scouts. Sailor Night rose to her feet and left the group.


	13. Chapter 13

**Warning: A majorly pissed off Sailor Scout. Please mind her dirty mouth.**

* * *

Sailor Night had to admit that Jupiter was right. Why hadn't she stopped it? There was a chance she could have prevented it if she had simply gone inside the building with Mercury. However, Mercury had insisted that she would be fine and that she would be able to defend herself. What had gone wrong? She sighed sadly as she put a gloved hand upon her face. The slaps to the face from Jupiter stung but not as much as her failure had stung. Two Sailor Scouts were now dead and all because she couldn't stop this enemy. There had to be another way to stop Ikeda Takuya. There just had to be.

 _Mercury, Venus...I'm sorry._

If it came down to it, though, she would willingly sacrifice herself for the good of her fellow soldiers. Whether that sacrifice would work, Sailor Night couldn't say. It would be one demon less to worry about. She shook those thoughts away. She wasn't that desperate yet but there was no other obvious solution that she could see. She wasn't ready to give up yet. She wouldn't allow herself to give up. The young woman stood up. Despite Jupiter's anger, she would do everything within her power to keep them safe...even if it meant losing her life. She would keep them safe from afar, just as she had done ages ago. Her resolve strengthened, she flew away into the distance.

Elsewhere, a shadowy figure sat in the darkness of his bedroom. Beside him, upon the nightstand, a small cellphone lay by a lamp. A strong hand reached out for it and flipped it open, dialing a very familiar number. Her voice mail came on but he left no message. He was patient. Besides, he felt her struggles. Why not play on them? It would make her go off the rails and make her that much more vulnerable.

* * *

"Jupiter," Neo-Queen Serenity said. "I know you're upset, but resorting to violence won't solve anything."

The tall brunette said nothing. She struggled with her own guilt as it was already and her emotions from the deaths of her two companions had gotten the best of her. She struck out when she shouldn't have and pushed away the one person who could help. It was hard enough in the beginning to get Sailor Night to cooperate with them and now she messed it up. Her past was as complicated as it came. She sighed as she focused on the subject at hand. Sailor Mars was already doing her best on her end to keep the rest of them protected and straining herself in the process.

If anything, Sailor Jupiter really wanted to kill the man responsible for all of the madness. HE had killed her friends and not Sailor Night. Upon further reflection, she had found it easier to blame Sailor Night simply because she had been their enemy in a past life. She had been created by the Negaverse to destroy them and had succeeded. It took being purified by the Silver Crystal to make the girl a Sailor Scout. She had taken on Metallia single handed with the help of the Crystal. She had brought the fallen soldiers back to life. How did Jupiter repay her kindness? By slapping her twice. Neo-Queen Serenity placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder, sensing her friend's internal struggle.

"Don't blame yourself. She'll forgive you."

The brunette looked into the queen's bright, sapphire eyes. How could one not trust those words? The blonde-haired beauty gathered the Scout of Thunder into her arms and soothed away the guilt and turmoil. As she held her friend, a feeling of dread came over her. Something was about to go down. She couldn't place her finger on it. She would have to look to the crystal for guidance. She would not place anymore undue pressure upon Sailor Mars.

* * *

Adachi Sakura arrived home and was prepared to take a long, hot bath when her cell phone rang. She picked it up without looking at the caller ID, a mistake that she would come to regret. Nothing but terror awaited her.

"Hello?"

"She has lovely blue eyes," the voice spoke into her ear. "It would be tragic to see the lights go out..."

"Fuck you, bastard!" Sakura growled, realizing whom he spoke of.

 _That motherfucker._

"In time, sweet one."

Immediately ending the call, the young woman had to take deep breaths and re-centered herself. She absolutely refused to let Ikeda Takuya get underneath her skin again but he threatened the very queen herself and she would not allow that to happen. She was an independent Sailor Scout, true, but Serenity had touched her heart in more ways than one and she would not allow such a beautiful soul to be snuffed out by a lunatic.

It disturbed Sakura that Takuya was using hopes and dreams of her friends as a tool for his sick purpose. Now, he was threatening to go after the Queen of Crystal Tokyo! It baffled her as to why he would target her but the reason was irrelevant. She was NOT going to let another one of her friends be slaughtered by this monster!If she had to kill him, then so be it. It would mean that she had slipped back to her old ways but it was for Serenity's protection...and her friends'. She was a soldier...a protector and she would do her damn job.

 _'Ikeda Takuya, you messed with the wrong Sailor Scout.'_ Sakura thought angrily.


End file.
